


Follow The Leader

by Godspeed_Cowboy



Category: Naruto
Genre: Bad Ideas, Broken Bones, Chakra exhaustion, Chuunin Exams, Crack Treated Seriously, Edo Tensei, Fights, Fist Fights, Gen, Haruno Sakura-centric, Head Injury, I gave her a forehead like Tanjirou's, Injury, Killing, Konoha Crush, Mind Control, Mokuton, POV Haruno Sakura, Panic, Passing Out, Plans, Sakura doesn't know what she's doing but it works so she does it anyways, Sand-Sound Invasion, She could accidentally kill you with one bonk, She's panicking, Stuttering, Violence, anxious twelve years olds being anxious twelve year olds, idk - Freeform, knock out - Freeform, set during the fight with Orochimaru and Sarutobi, she's an awkward child who doesn't know how to act around higher ups, she's just a liddol kid, technically, they're undead so, twelve years old and built like a stickman goddamn girl
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-10-01
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:20:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26742025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Godspeed_Cowboy/pseuds/Godspeed_Cowboy
Summary: In which Hinata faints a bit later during the finale exams and Sakura has a better memory and a stronger gut feeling. This leads to some . . . interesting results.
Relationships: Haruno Sakura & Senju Hashirama, Haruno Sakura & Senju Tobirama
Comments: 23
Kudos: 301





	Follow The Leader

**Author's Note:**

> Hallo! I am back! I promise I am working on other chapters for my other stories, but for now I offer you all this!
> 
> Twitter: @YeehawMitski

Sakura is sitting next to Ino, cheering for Sasuke to come out from wherever he’s hiding, so that he can compete against the sand kid, when she notices something.

Hinata practically collapses nearby, and it makes Sakura pause in her shouting to look over, concerned. Kiba frets over his teammate, worry written all over his face as the girl is curled over her legs, head hanging.

She’s about halfway up out of her seat when the figure comes into view, helping Kiba with sitting Hinata upright. It’s an ANBU, she realizes, most likely a medic, judging by the mark on the shoulder of the cloak. And she’s close enough to hear the voice and see the hair that peeks out from where it’s hidden under the cloak’s hood and behind the mask. Strands of silver that glint in the sunlight as they move over.

“Don’t worry, your friend will be fine, let's move her into the shade, yeah?”

Now, Sakura considers herself to have a very good memory, but for a moment she is doubtful of it.

Because that ANBU reminds her of _Kabuto_ , which should not be _possible_ because Kabuto was a _genin_ who dropped out of the exams early on. And the sight of this ANBU makes something churn in her stomach, unease and anxiety, at the thought of it being him. So, clearly, she must be getting a bit rusty with her memory. And her gut can be misleading sometimes, so maybe it wasn’t anything to think about.

But her reassurance does nothing to help. It only makes things worse, it feels like. She clutches her stomach at the feeling, hands gripping the fabric of her dress.

Sakura is thoroughly disturbed by this reaction. She does not like that she does not feel safe.

She needs to tell someone, immediately. But who?

She stands up fully from her seat, head swiveling. There are not any Jounin or Chuunin where she sits, most of them keeping to a section all the way on the other side of the arena and the rest keeping guard outside in the village. So they aren’t close enough. And she doubts they’d take her seriously. Who would take her seriously, then? Her face tightens a bit. She needs to tell someone, but it can’t be just anyone, no. So who?

Sakura looks around again, eyes surveying all the stands.

Her gaze trails up to the Hokage’s booth and she swallows.

Perhaps that’s who she should tell? Maybe, it would make sense. 

“Hey, Forehead,” Ino says, meanly teasing, “something up?”

After a moment's hesitation, Sakura shakes her head. Ino shouldn't have to worry, she should be having fun.

“No, I just have to use the bathroom,” she replies, “be right back, promise!”

“Better hurry, Forehead, look! Sasuke just got here!”

And he has. Leaves gently swirl to the ground as he and Kakashi finally appear. The crowd goes wild, and Kakashi is gone in the blink of an eye, teleporting to stand next to the proctor, the one with the needle in his mouth.

She needs to hurry.

“I’ll be real quick! Let me know what I miss!”

She makes her way to the stairs carefully before breaking into a sprint when she gets to them, going up and up and up until she gets to the top, the stairway opening up to a path. One that leads directly to the booth.

She turns, going a bit quicker.

She does not notice the violence in the arena, does not notice how it begins to escalate.

She gets to the booth fairly quickly, and has to catch her breath while his two guards there stop her.

“Hey, kid, what are you doing here?” one asks.

She stands up, still a little out of breath, but replies anyways.

“I need to speak to the Hokage, please! It’s very important!”

The other one rolls his eyes, and his reply is monotone, as though he’s said this a hundred times before (he probably has), “Sorry, kid, but the Hokage doesn’t give any autographs during this time.”

She shakes her head, “No, no! That’s not it!”

“Then what is it?”

“I-” she swallows, nervous suddenly, “I think I’ve found a fake. In-In ANBU.”

This captures both the guards attention. The one who spoke first squints at her, skeptical.

“You sure, kid? Think so? This isn’t something to be taken lightly. If this is a joke, you’re gonna be in some serious trouble.”

“Yes! I’m sure! It isn’t a joke, I swear, I-I swear!” she says, sounding a bit distressed.

The two guards look at each other before nodding, and one goes to whisper into the Hokage’s ear as the other gestures for her to step inside the booth.

She tries not to squirm under the intense look of her village’s leader as she comes to stand before him.

She bows, “Hello, Hokage-sama.”

“Ah, hello, Haruno-san. The guard says you have something important to tell me about my ANBU?”

“Yes, I do,” she fidgets with her fingers, “I think . . . I think I’ve found someone in ANBU who shouldn’t be?”

The Hokage quirks a brow, “Oh? Who?”

“Yakushi Ka-”

Suddenly, there is yelling from below, and a stray shuriken whizzes past her ear, thudding into the back wall of the booth, as three figures with sand markings fly overhead. Then the sound of fighting, and screaming, distress and killing intent leaking into the open air so much that Sakura freezes.

The Hokage stands up fast as Sakura turns around, both wanting to see what’s happening. 

Sand and Sound battle against Leaf, blood spilling over unconscious bodies. Sakura squeaks, hands coming up to her face, flailing as the Hokage gasps behind her.

Then there’s two grunts, two thuds, and when Sakura turns back around, the two guards from before are lying on the ground, unmoving, heads turning in unnatural ways. The Kazekage stands over them, staring at the Hokage, eyes briefly flitting over to Sakura before dismissing her entirely.

“What-!” the Hokage starts, and the Kazekage interrupts.

“Looks like there’s been a change in plans. _So_ sorry, _sensei_.”

Sakura recognizes that voice from the Forest of Death, and she freezes again.

And then four Sound Ninja appear out of thin air, landing in a square formation, making several hand signs, and suddenly there is a purple barrier around them before jumping away, boxing them in completely. Several ANBU appear as well, surrounding the barrier, but not coming close enough to touch it. The Kazekage, or at least she thinks it is but now she isn’t sure, moves spots from his seat to standing on the other side, close to the barrier.

The Hokage squints at the supposed Kazekage, voice hard, “Just what is the meaning of this? Who are you?”

“Ah, do you not recognize me yet?”

Slowly, the veil over the other’s face falls as the robes and hat come off, and the person that stares back is unfamiliar. A woman, with long, dark hair and golden eyes, smiling at them, smug and condescending.

Was Sakura wrong, then?

The Hokage only looks more perplexed. The woman pouts, hand on her chest.

“My, my, how heartbreaking it is,” she mocks, a cruel smile growing on her lips, “that you’re so _senile_ that you don’t even recognize _one_ of your own _students_.”

And suddenly there is recognition in her leader’s eyes, and then the woman sheds off the skin of her face to show who is beneath, something that makes Sakura want to vomit at the wet sound.

Orochimaru, the legendary Snake Sannin, stares back at them with a taunting glare, his wicked teeth on display.

And then, he rants. He talks about his plans, talks about what he wants, what he’s going to do, whether or not the Hokage likes it. And it is terrifying, the thought that her village might fall, that her teammate might be taken from her by force, that everything that everyone has worked so hard for will have been for nothing.

And then, they engage, the Sannin and the Hokage. Some parts of the booth fly off, nearly hitting her, and she has to duck out of the way as fast as she can, getting a few scrapes in the process. The old man has taken off his robes to reveal dark armour beneath, and they trade blows and all Sakura can do is watch, knees shaking, as she dodges. One of the ANBU outside tries to touch the barrier and bursts into flames and Sakura collapses at the sight, overwhelmed, her ear ringing. And then she and Orochimaru make eye contact. And he smiles.

“Oh my! Forgive me! I didn't mean to ignore _you_ , child!”

Sakura gulps, ice in her veins. She would have preferred it if he hadn’t noticed her at all. But she supposes her luck would run out eventually, as is the nature of things. At least he wouldn’t pay attention to her for long, judging by how sarcastic he sounded. Suddenly the Hokage is picking her up, arms around her waist, as they jump up to the red shingled roof. Orochimaru follows.

The Hokage places her behind him, protective. His features are hard, angry.

“Orochimaru . . .” he says, threatening, “I will not allow you to touch anymore of my village’s children..”

“Oh, _I_ won’t . . .”

Confusion, for a brief second, and then he’s making hand signs, and circles light up on the ground, coffins beginning to rise from them.

“. . . But _they_ will.”

And it’s the first time she hears her Hokage swear, the first time she hears panic in his voice, and it does nothing but make her more scared than she is. The Hokage looks at her for a moment.

“Stay put,” is all he says before he runs at his old student, attacking him before a third coffin can rise.

When he falls back in front of her, the two coffins open. 

Sakura’s eyes widen, fear flooding her irises, heart racing.

Two previous Hokages, Lord First and Lord Second, limp out. They look young and alive, not as a dead person should.

She shivers when they look in their direction. Orochimaru pulls out two seals and sticks them to the back of the corpses’ heads, the paper slips sinking into their skulls, before they can do anything. Their eyelids flutter briefly as their stances change into something ready to attack. 

“H-Hokage-sama . . .” she says, so very afraid of what is to come.

He pats her head, “Don’t worry, it’s going to be ok. Just-Just stay here. Don’t move.”

He makes hand signs of his own, and a little circle appears around her feet. A protection seal. She nods, unable to say anything more, because she doesn’t want to stutter anymore than she has and she doesn’t want to give away just how much she’s scared. Orochimaru does not seem to care about her anymore, his last threat echoing the emptiness he meant it with.

And then he’s off, battling with his old mentors. For the first few minutes, she is astonished. Especially when Lord Second uses the water wall and it’s counteracted with an earth wall. Especially when behind her, Lord First brings forth a tangle of tree trunks and thick branches, with the Hokage summoning one of his monkey summons to escape it. She’s absolutely amazed by these displays of power.

Until a misfired jutsu is launched her way, that is. A simple mistake on Orochimaru’s part, as he really has forgotten about her presence, but the simple wind jutsu meant for the Hokage is way off as he moves out of the way before it can hit and Sakura is left in the direct line of fire after it strays off it’s trajectory. And out of instinct, she flinches, squealing, stepping back and out of the circle with her arms raised to protect her in a flimsy way.

The seal beneath her feet shatters. She pales as the attention of the village’s most powerful people becomes focused on her.

Orochimaru blinks, then waves a hand at her, “Get her out of the way. I don’t care how. Just finish off Sarutobi as soon as she’s . . . _eliminated_.”

The undead nod, agreeing in unison, “Understood.”

Lord First takes off towards the Hokage.

Lord Second’s gaze pierces her through like a nail through wood. His cold, red eyes are very unsettling.

The moment he lifts a foot towards her, Sakura turns around and _runs_ for the trees. And suddenly it feels like more animal instincts take over.

She feels like she’s running from a predator and she’s an unfortunate prey.

It is a sheer miracle that Sakura gets to the trees before he reaches her. He grabs her by the back of her dress, fist wrapped around the neckline, cold knuckles brushing against the nape of her neck. She yells as she’s lifted off the ground effotlesly, left to dangle like a string in the wind. His eyes are much more intense up close and she doesn’t like it, looking everywhere to avoid eye contact.

He lifts a hand, one that glows green, and Sakura automatically doesn’t trust it as it gets closer and closer to her face.

At best, he'll probably just knock her out. At worst, he’s going to kill her in cold blood.

That last one is enough to make her panic to the point of taking action.

She rears her head back and slams it as hard as she can into his own. He doesn’t make much sound, only a grunt, and he drops her as he sways in his place, the medical chakra in his hand flickering out as she hits the ground, wobbling.

Mortified, she yells, “I’m so sorry, Lord Second! I’m so sorry!”

There’s a dent in his head from where she hit, one that’s slowly rising back up.

Sakura doesn’t waste anymore time, stumbling her way into the mess that Lord First created, climbing through the biggest hole before she stands up and starts to run, remembering to use her chakra to make her stick to the bark to avoid falling. 

She hears the exact moment Lord Second starts to chase after her. She tries to pick up her speed, tries to throw him off by moving in a random pattern. It isn’t the most perfect or effective method, but it works well enough. She tries to speed up more everytime she feels his hands brush too close, which was honestly extremely terrifying on her end.

Eventually, her luck does come to an end once more.

A foot comes in contact with her back, and it sends her flying over the bark, flipping through the air. She lands roughly on top of a few thick branches, bent backwards, belly up, and when she settles, she’s cradled uncomfortably. A pained sound leaves her throat.

Lord Second lands next to her, kneeling over her, one hand grabbing both her wrists, a knee over her legs as his other one rests next to her shoulder, and his other hand reaching towards her neck, glowing green again. 

Her breath comes out quicker the closer his hand gets. His eyes are cold and empty, his red eyes looking at hers as she tries to look away.

In these mere milliseconds, Sakura does something reckless in hopes of having a continued survival, because she really doesn’t want to die so young, only twelve, and because she’s working into overdrive in such a panicked state that she can’t think straight.

She flushes as much chakra as she can to the area around her wrists, tenketsu points stinging. And she pushes it right through his hands, flooding his system entirely.

What she doesn’t know is that the seal in his head absorbs it.

His body becomes rigid with seconds, teeth clenching as his head snaps up, and a strangled yowl leaves his throat as his hands shake, body trembling with how tense he is, letting her go. She ends up sliding off the branches as a result, screaming as she tumbles into the new foliage below, twigs snapping against her skin hard enough to leave welts.

Her back hits the ground with a thud, and she sits there for a moment before she groans in pain, rolling into her side and curling in on herself. She’s going to have a _lot_ of bruises when this is over.

“Owiiie . . .”

Two feet land in front of her face. Two pale feet wearing outdated sandals. She freezes, and makes a high, croaking sound, jaws dropping as she looks up.

Lord Second stares back. His eyes are still cold and empty.

She rolls away, onto her back, scrambling away before she hits a tree. Her breathing picks up as he steps closer. All she can think of is how she’s about to die right here, right now, at the hands of her village’s previous leader. Her eyes squeeze shut as he stops in front of her, knowing she just ran out of tricks to save herself. Her shoulders raise up as she tears the grass out of the shingles.

She hears him move, but . . .

But the glowing hand she expects never comes.

Slowly, she opens her eyes and lowers her shoulders.

There is indeed a hand in front of her, but it is not glowing. Instead, it is just . . . Held out to her, palm to the sky.

Lord Second does not attack, he just keeps staring.

Sakura’s brows pinch together as her gaze flickers back and forth between the hand and the person behind it.

Why wasn’t he attacking her like before?

The hand moves closer, more of a gentle nudge, an offering.

Sakura swallows and decides to take a chance.

Shakily, she puts one hand in his, and his fingers close firm around it as he hoists her up to her feet. She sways for a moment, blinking up at him. Neither of them say anything, and his silence is starting to make her uncomfortable. She fidgets with her finger as she looks to the side, back at him, and to the side again. She decides to ask a question.

“Lord Second, why-why aren’t you . . . attacking me? Anymore?”

He tilts his head and speaks flat, calm, “Do you want me to attack you?”

She startles at the question and his voice. She had only heard it when he was bellowing out jutsus until now. The baritone of it surprises her a bit. And then Sakura remembers that he’s waiting for an answer. She shakes her head frantically.

“NO! No! Uh, no, no thank you, Lord Second, no, _please_.”

He nods at her answer, unbothered by how shrill it sounds and how it cracks, “I will not attack you.”

“Thank you, Lord Second . . .”

And now she is very unsure of what to do. She looks around and wonders what to do next.

“Lord Second, what do we, um, what do we do now?”

“I do not know. What do you want to do now?”

She jumps, “Me?”

“Yes, you. What do you want to do now?”

She blinks. He wants . . . He wants her to make the decision? Something isn’t right here . . .

She squints at him, head leaning forward, an idea in her head.

“. . . Life up your right hand.”

He lifts his right hand without complaint or question.

“Okaaay . . . Mm, now put it down. And tap your left foot once.”

He puts down his hand as his left foot taps one, no hesitation.

Slowly, her head lifts as her eyes widen with realization.

Lord Second is no longer under Orochimaru’s command. He’s under _Sakura’s_ now.

“Oh. _Oh_. Oh _no_.” she wheezes.

Lord Second does not do anything as she paces, watching her.

“Okay, okay, um. Okay.”

She really needs to figure out what to do because Sakura is most definitely no leader, she is not good with ordering people around or making decisions that are the best for everyone or anything that relates to having power over someone. She was only a twelve year old Genin kunoichi, not some seasoned Jounin with years upon years of experience. She was built much like a baby deer learning to walk. All too long limbs and unsteady joints, and just as jumpy. Now, was she smart? Capable? Of course! But not physically. She was not much help in such departments, as she practically had the words “Paper Ninja” plastered on her forehead.

Oh, this is a _nightmare_!

In her pacing, something hits the trees, shaking her out of her trance. Oh . . . Oh! That’s right! There’s-There’s fighting! The Hokage is fighting! With the enemy, the Sannin! She forgot completely!

Her cheeks burn red as she bites her tongue, shame and embarrassment creeping up her spine. Foolish on her part for completely forgetting the bigger picture here.

Lord Second still doesn’t say anything.

She looks at him, but of course it’s unhelpful for either of them. Once again, something hits the trees, and there’s a loud yell. She gulps, sweat running down her forehead, down her neck.

“We-We need to go and. We need to go and help out Hokage-sama. We need to, uh, get out of here, get to them,” she stutters. 

Lord Second nods. Next thing she knows, she’s scooped up around her waist and speeding back through the trees at top speed as she’s left to curl into a fetal position against Lord Second’s chest as he carries her through, unbothered by her screaming, wind whipping at her face.

The landing is surprisingly soft, and when her feet touch the ground, she’s a little shaky but okay for the most part, despite her turning insides and lightheadedness. She was not used to going so fast and it showed. And it doesn’t help that she’s managed to accidentally drain half of her chakra with the little stunt she pulled back there. She nods in thanks to the tall man, who does nothing but wait for the next set of orders.

Sakura decides to take stock of the situation. 

The Hokage is holding up pretty well, but she knows that he can’t hold out for too long, not against the God of Shinobi and his student, both of whom most likely knew plenty of his tricks. He’s going to need a bit of help. Orochimaru is going to be the biggest problem later, as he’s the one behind it, but the current biggest problem was Lord First. 

Sakura thinks for a moment. And then she has a plan. 

She turns to Lord Second, “Lord Second, sir, can you do me a favor?”

A nod, an acknowledgment of her request.

“Help me subdue Lord First so I can get to him. But, uh, not near here. Um, please?”

She doesn’t want to become some accidental casualty, especially because no one has noticed either of them yet and she doesn’t want to risk getting hit by another accidentally misfired jutsu.

He nods again, and immediately springs into action.

By landing a punch on his brother. _Hard_. And there was a distinct, wet crunch that had to be none other than his neck breaking from the force of it. Sakura feels a gasp get caught in her throat and a shudder run up her spine.

Did he just _kill_ him?

The answer to that is no, because his head hangs for only a moment before it comes back up, just as uninjured as before. She supposes it has something to do with the jutsu that brought them back, as she’d seen the damage she did with her own forehead. 

She lets out an unsteady breath. Technically, she just watched someone die, watched someone get swiftly murdered. But she supposes that seeing one stand right back up would not have the same effect as seeing them flop limp to the ground.

Lord First’s attention is now successfully diverted. Orochimaru is too caught up with the Hokage to see what’s happening.

Perfect. All she has to do is stand back and watch. And hopefully not get caught up again like last time.

The fight she gets to witness is, simply put, _awesome_.

Flying kicks and punches, flips and twists through the air, jutsu after jutsu, all without a word uttered between them as Lord Second leads Lord First away. Both fight gracefully as though they were dancing, and the way they fight reminds her of their elements, which they both use respectively. 

Orochimaru has yet to take notice still, the fool. She wonders if he’s really so caught up in himself, if she’s really that ignorable, that he doesn’t even know what’s happening outside of his own little world that revolved around him and the Hokage.

Either way, it works for her, so she takes it.

Then there’s a lot of cut off yelling to her right, and when she turns, Lord Second has Lord First pinned to the ground, knees in his back and his arms pulled back. And the older man is struggling like hell to break free.

Sakura runs over, not wanting the chance to go to waste and for him to escape as a result.

She collapses, kneeling in front of him, and smacks her palms to the side of his head, wincing as she tangles his hair in her fists to keep him from jerking away.

“I’m really, _really_ sorry, Lord First!”

And then she channels all her chakra through the tenketsu points in her hands, which have started to feel a little too numb for her liking. And she funnels it right into his head. 

His face twists into something pained, and a scream tears it’s way out of his throat. And then, all at once, he flops down, sedated.

Slowly, she takes her hands off, “Okay. You can get off of him now. Thank you, Lord Second.”

Lord Second stands up. And after a few moments, Lord First follows his lead. And like last time, he doesn’t try to attack anymore. His eyes are just as empty, but it’s better than having violent intent directed towards her.

And then her head begins to feel dizzy. Terribly so. She falls over, onto her back, limbs sprawled out. The two men do nothing as she groans out.

Sakura squints at them, vision blurry. Is she seeing double?

“Go help Hokage-sama . . . Stop the snake man . . .” she slurs, waving a hand in what she thinks is the right direction. 

The two nod and are gone from her sight in mere seconds.

Sakura clocks out, chakra exhaustion settling in, her head thunking hard against the roof.


End file.
